


Tis the season.

by TayBartlett9000



Category: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Genre: Christmas, Companionship, Earth, Friendship, Gifts, Humour, M/M, Presents, celebration, festive, festivity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21938596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayBartlett9000/pseuds/TayBartlett9000
Summary: Ford Prefect learns of yet another tradition  popular among the people of Earth, giving gifts at Christmas. He even takes it upon himself to join in the tradition of  gift giving himself.
Relationships: Arthur Dent/Ford Prefect
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Tis the season.

Ford Prefect was used to his homo sapian companion conducting strange behaviour. He had spent years observing the odd behaviour of Arthur Dent and others of his race, but as he walked into the hallway that led to Arthur Dent’s living room he realised that he was walking in on a type of behaviour that he hadn’t seen before. 

“Good morning, Arthur,” Ford told him calmly as he stepped into the living room, “what are you doing?”

The living room was in chaos. Ford could see strands of torn up wrapping paper littering the table and floor. He could also see what looked like parcels wrapped in that same paper stacked up in front of his human companion who was busy wrapping more of the brightly coloured, somewhat sparkly paper around yet another box. Ford had no idea what was going on.

Arthur looked up and smiled at him. “I’m wrapping up my Christmas presents, of course,” he told him cheerfully.

Ford was still a little bemused. “But why would you wrap up your own Christmas presents?” he asked in puzzlement.

Arthur laughed. “I’m not wrapping my own presents up,” he said with a grin, “I’m wrapping up the presents that are meant for other people.”

Ford nodded, accepting the truth of this. It made no sense, but he supposed that it was a human thing. Ford knew all about Christmas now. He had spent a long enough time on Earth to know about the Winter celebration that many millions of humans participated in. Even as he had been walking to Arthur’s house this morning, Ford had seen many a lavishly decorated house and heard many a determinedly joyful Christmas song. Many people had shouted a cheerful ‘Merry Christmas’ at him as they had passed him in the street and out of politeness, Ford had offered a ‘Merry Christmas’ back. The whole thing was baffling to him. Folks back home on the planet Betelgeuse didn’t celebrate Christmas, but even though this was an alien custom of an alien race on an alien planet, Ford rather liked it. If there was one thing that a Betelgeusian knew a lot about, it was a good old party.

Ford took a seat beside Arthur at the table and scrutinised the presents layed out before them. “Have you finished wrapping up your friends’ presents yet?” he asked.

“Not even close,” Arthur replied, finishing the wrapping of one gift and starting on another. He glanced at the piles of boxes and wrapped packages resting on the table in front of him and sighed. “I’ve spoiled my family this year, I’m telling you. I hope they appreciate it.”

“Do you do this every year?” Ford asked.

Arthur nodded again. “Yes, of course. Have you never given anyone a present for Christmas?”

“No,” Ford replied simply.

“Is it against your religion or something?” Arthur asked with a slight smile.

Ford wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that particular question. That was another thing they didn’t have back home on Betelgeuse. Religion didn’t exist where Ford Prefect came from. “No,” he replied, hoping that he was offering the correct answer, “I don’t have a religion.”

Arthur smiled. “That’s good, because I have a Christmas present for you also.” He put down his partially wrapped parcel and rummaged around on the table, searching amidst the pile of presents for something that Ford couldn’t see. “Wher is the bloody thing?” Arthur muttered as he rooted through the pile of Christmas gifts. Ford sat quietly, wondering what in the hell his friend was doing. After rooting through the presents for a couple of minutes, Arthur cheered as he found what he was looking for. “Aha, here you are.”

Ford Prefect looked at the wrapped gift that Arthur was holding out to him, and he took it with a slight smile. “Is this for me?” he asked.

“It is,” his friend replied.

Ford hadn’t expected that. He held the package in one hand, wondering what Arthur could have decided to give him. He put the wrapped gift on the table and prepared to tear the wrapping paper apart.

“Oh no, you can’t open it yet,” Arthur told him firmly, “you can’t open it until Christmas day. That’s what keeps it a surprise.”

“I’m not a big fan of surprises,” Ford replied.

“I don’t care. You can’t open it.”

Ford left the present alone. He sat there in silence and watched Arthur finishing his present wrapping. He was feeling a little bit guilty now. Arthur had given him a Christmas present and Ford didn’t have anything for Arthur. Surely that was not how the gift giving thing was done. Ford had to get a present for Arthur. But what should he give him? Arthur didn’t seem to have much in the way of hobbies. What did one give an Earthman who didn’t seem to have much hobbies that one could speak of?

And then the idea came to him. Ford Prefect knew exactly what Arthur Dent would APPRECIATE FOR Christmas. He rose and offered Arthur one of what he called his most charming grins. “I’ve got a Christmas present for you to. I just have to go and fetch it.”

“Cheers, mate.”

Ford Prefect hurried out of Arthur’s house and stepped out into the busy street. He hurried down the roads, calling ‘merry Christmas’ to everyone who passed him and entered a grosery shop, knowing precisely what he was looking for. It stood in a large cardboard box at the end of one of the shop’s long isles and in a single decisive movement, he picked this large box off the shelf. He hurried to the counter and payed some earth coins for the present he had bought, leaving the shop with a smile. He had to hurry. Arthur would be waiting to see what present Ford Prefect had given him. Ford didn’t want to leave his friend waiting for too long. 

“Here it is,” Ford called as he marched through the hallway and back into Arthur’s living room. He stood for a moment beside Arthur’s chair and offered him a slightly sheepish glance. “It isn’t wrapped, I’m afraid, but I do hope you’ll like it.

“I’m sure I will. Let me see.”

Hoping that he had done the right thing, Ford held out the present and watched Arthur’s face carefully. There was a few seconds of silence before Arthur Dent offered any sort of reaction at all. When a reaction did come, it came in the form of an uproarious laugh. “Good God, Ford,” Arthur smirked, reaching out and taking the present from him, “that is possibly the oddest gift anyone has ever given me.”

“Do you like it?” Ford asked.

Arthur nodded. “Of course I like it. Thanks very much, Ford. Shall we open it and enjoy some now?”

“If you like.”

Ford watched Arthur as he disappeared into the kitchen with the large cardboard box under his arm. He was glad that his Earth born companion liked the last minute present that he had been given. But when he thought about it, Ford couldn’t see why someone like Arthur wouldn’t have liked it. After all, tea was one of Arthur’s favourite things.


End file.
